Productivity is for robots

Any job that is measured by productivity is a job that humans should not be doing. Productivity is for robots

Kevin Kelly

Ever since the industrial revolution started in the late 16th century the central focus of workplace effort has been to increase productivity. Building factories, innovative manufacturing techniques, A public school to train factory workers, working by the clock, specialized tools — the list goes on. All of these things were created to increase productivity. Together they formed a system that lead to the greatest acceleration of human technology, knowledge and resources ever seen. Now, after 200 years of continuous of improvement, the systems we developed have reached a state of such complexity and efficiency that they can now operate effectively without direct human involvement. Factories of robots. Wars fought with drones. Communications by satellite. A stocks bought or sold by computer programs. Translation of books by software. The western world has now for some time been poised on the verge of a tipping point of sorts. We’re leaving the industrial era. The systems we’ve created have now displaced the need for human labor. These machines are more productive than we will ever be. It’s time to acknowledge that the time for optimizing mundane human labor is past. Productivity through repetitive manual labor is for robots. In time robots will stock the shelves at target. Automated cars will make truck drivers redundant.It makes sense, machines are simply better at these task then we will ever be. So that leaves the question, what sort of tasks should humans be doing?

The only things that are increasing in cost while everything else heads to zero are human experiences — which cannot be copied. — Kevin Kelly

Focus on the tasks we can’t yet quantify. The jobs that contain intangible skills. Jobs that require human ingenuity, human creativity, a human touch. Double down on anything that requires or generates a truly human experience.

Not coincidentally, humans excel at creating and consuming experiences. This is no place for robots. — Kevin Kelly

Robots may take our jobs. But perhaps it’s a blessing in disguise. Finally we can focus on finding that are truly human in nature. A return to the days of artisan human production. A departure from the drudgery of repetitively manufacturing the same product for eight per day.